KOREAN CANADIAN STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON IDENTITY FROM TWO CANADIAN CITIES

KOREAN CANADIAN STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON IDENTITY FROM TWO CANADIAN CITIES

This paper presents reflections of Korean Canadian students from two Canadian cities on their sense of identity. Drawing on data from a larger exploratory study of anti-Asian experiences of Korean university students from four different sites in North America, we report on a comparative analysis of identity formation among Korean students in Toronto, a large metropolis, and in Saskatoon, a medium-sized metropolis. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the ways in which fourteen Korean students’ identity construction is fluid and dynamic and argues for a more blended, interactive, and relational conceptualization. After presenting a brief introduction and conceptual framework and literature review, the paper discusses data and methods followed by a qualitative analysis of the focus group discussions from the two cities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications for a more nuanced understanding of Korean Canadian identities in the contemporary period.